Shoe stretcher



W. H. DUTTON SHQESTRETCHER Dec. 8, 1936.

- Filed May 29, 1934 A. .H i

A TTO Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE STRETCHER William H. Dutton, Deephaven, Minn.

Application May 29, 1934, Serial No. 728,131

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to and has for an object the provision of an improved type of shoe stretching device adapted to be inserted in a shoe for the purpose of stretching the vamp, and also the instep, and more particularly to a shoe stretcher having electric heating elements housed therein for heating the body to a predetermined and necessary extent prior to the stretching operation.

It may be understood that in the art of. stretching shoes in order to perfectly and comfortably fit the feet of a purchaser, it is often necessary to stretch the uppers across the vamp. The usual means for this purpose includes a pair of relatively expansible sections hingedly connected together and expanded by means of an operating member extended from the rear end of the shoe. Such stretching operations are rarely effective or lasting and new shoes are the occasion of great discomfort to the wearers.

My invention contemplates, therefore, the provision of means housed within the expansible members of the last for electrically heating said members, whereby, when the linings of the shoe are first moistened, the application of the expansible last to the shoe will, when the last is expanded and heated to a suitable extent, permanently stretch the leather of the shoes so as to avoid the discomfort otherwise occasioned.

Frequently, when a shoe is otherwise comfortable, a source of extreme discomfort is occasioned by the seam across the instep of the shoe, and for correcting this trouble I have provided an instep stretcher which is adjustable vertically on the last regardless of the extent to which the last members have been expanded.

A further object is to provide simple and effective means for independently or simultaneously adjustingthe last members and the instep expander, and to otherwise provide a structure embodying the aforesaid characteristics, which will be simple of. structure and operation, and includes means for thermostatically controlling the electric current employed for heating the last.

Other objects will appear as the description progresses.

I have shown a preferred form of my invention in the accompanying drawing, subject to modification within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled electrically heated shoe stretcher embodying my improvements; f

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram showing the connections between the heating elements and a thermostat embodied in the device, as hereinbefore 10 mentioned.

Briefly described, a shoe stretcher embodying my improvements includes a pair 01' like body members I and 2 which are relatively expansible and together form a last to fit within a shoe, a tongue-like instep stretching member 3 adjustable vertically relative to members I and 2, an expander 4 supported on and mounted so as to correspondingly engage the members I and 2, and a pair of operating screws 5 and 6, adapted to engage, respectively, the members I and 2, and the instep stretcher 3. Heating elements 1 and 8 are provided in the toe portions of the body members I and 2 and are connected with a thermostat 9 whereby the heating of the stretcher may be regulated to a desired extent.

The body members I and 2 are formed of cast or pressed metal and have forward portions I 0 adapted to be inserted in the vamp of the shoe, central arch portions II and heel portions I2. Both of. the members I and 2 are hollow and open at their adjacent inner sides. At a point near the tops I3 of the heel portions of said members I and 2 transversely opposite bearings I 4 formed in which trunnions I5, extending in opposite directions froma central sleeve I6, are journalled, for operatively supporting the operating screws 5 and 6, as hereinafter described.

When the sleeve I6 is positioned on members I and 2, as shown, said members are yieldably held together by means of a tension spring I! attached at its outer ends to eye screws I8, I8 secured to the opposite outer walls of the members I and 2. Thus, as members I and 2 are expanded, the fulcrum is at the parting line between said members at the heel, so that the forward portions l0, I0 may be moved outwardly from each other, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 3, against the tension of spring l1.

Guides 20, 20 are secured to the inner faces of members I and 2 by means of screws 2|, or otherwise, or said guides may be integrally cast in said members, so as to provide inclined or arcuate channels, or ways 22, 22 for slidably engaging opposite sides of the expander 4 as the same is advanced by its operating screw 5 forwardly of the last. Expander 4 is generally triangular in form with its opposite sides convex and the apex of the triangle at its forward end, as shown in Fig. 3. Said expander has a central recess 23 through which the forward end 24 of screw 5 is extended. Portion 24 of screw 5 is rotatably held in the expander at opposite sides of recess 24 and may have a collar or flange 25 abutting the rearmost of said bearings for preventing the withdrawal of the screw from the expander.

Screws 5 and 6 are both held in the sleeve IS, the screw 6 telescoping over the screw 5. Sleeve I6 is internally threaded to receive external threads 26 on the outer screw 5, while the inner end of screw 6 is internally threaded to receive external threads 27 on the inner end of screw 5, as shown in Fig. 2. Screw 6 is counterbored at 28 for a substantial distance so as to permit the retraction of the threads 21 on screw 5 therein when the expander is retracted to its fullest extent.

The outer ends of screws 5 and 6 are provided with suitable Wing or wheel operating handles 29 and 30, respectively, by means of which the screws may be rotated for expanding or contracting the members I and 2 and the instep stretching member 3.

The upper surfaces of the members I and 2 are correspondingly recessed at 3!, 3I (see Figs. 2 and 4) so that the tongue 3 may seat in said recesses and the upper surface thereof will be flush with the surfaces of members I and 2. At the rear of said recesses, however, members I and 2 are provided with apertures 32, 32, through which a substantially thickened portion 33 of member 3 extends for engagement with a head 34 formed on or attached to the inner end of screw 6. Member 3has a pair of arms 35, 35, which extend rearwardly from the portion 33 and have hooks 36, 36 at their rear ends adapted to be supported on the trunnions I5, I5, on opposite sides of the sleeve I6. Thus, the member 3 is pivotally suported on the trunnions I5, I5, for adjustment vertically of the tops of the members I and 2. A suitable spring 31 (see Fig. 2) may be secured at one end to the top of member I or 2 and arranged at its other end to overlie one or both of the arms of member 3, for holding said member 3 in resilient engagement with the head 34 of screw 6.

Members I and 2 are expanded by holding handle 30 of screw 8 against rotation while handle 29 is turned for threading screw 5 through screw 6 and moving the expander forwardly in the guides 20, 20. Member 3 is adjusted upwardly to a suitable extent by holding handle 29 against rotation while handle 30 is turned sufliciently to elevate member 3 to a desired extent.

In the forward ends of members I and 2 I provide recesses 38 and 38, in which electric heating elements I and 8, respectively, are sealed by means of a suitable plastic material, or otherwise, and rearwardly of the heating elements and in one of the members I or 2 I mount a suitable thermostat 9 connected in the circuit of said heating elements for regulating the heating of the members I, 2 and 3.

A suitable circuit diagram for the heating elements and thermostat is shown in Fig. 6, in which a pair of service wires 39 and 40 are provided and connected with a wall or base plug 4I. Branches 42 and 43 lead from wire 40 to corresponding terminals of the heating elements "I and 8, respectively, while wire 39 is connected to one of the terminals of the thermostat 3 and a wire 44 leads from the other terminal of the thermostat.

Branches 45 and 46 lead from wire 44 to the other corresponding terminals of the heating elements, thereby connecting the heating elements in parallel in the circuit.

In operation, the stretching device, as shown, is heated to a desired temperature and the lining of the shoe to be stretched is moistened, after which the stretcher while the members I, 2 and 3 are contracted, is positioned in the shoe with the operating screws 5 and 6 extended rearwardly over the heel of the shoe. The rotation of the handle 29 while the handle 30 is held stationary serves to expand the body members I and 2 and the shoe is correspondingly stretched. It is apparent that by moistening the shoe lining and then applying heat to the shoe through the heated members I and 2 the material of which the shoe is made will assume a more permanent set than is possible by applying a cold expansible last, as is usually the custom.

When the instep stretcher 3 is nested in the recesses of the members I and 2 in firm contact with the tops of said members heat is conducted to the member 3. After the shoe is stretched for a suitable length of time by expanding the members I and 2, the seam over the instep may be also stretched by turning the handle 30 while the handle 29 is held stationary, thereby advancing the screw head 34 beneath the portion 33 of the member 3, and thus elevating the member 3 above the surface of the tops of members I and 2.

In some cases the instep may be expanded merely by the operation of member 3 without stretching the vamp of the shoe, or vice versa. Preferably, the lasts are supplied to the trade in various sizes so that but a very little expansion is necessary to provide adequate comfort in shoes which are otherwise uncomfortable.

It will be understood that the particular means shown and described for expanding the members I and 2 and for adjusting the member 3 is not material to my invention, as it will be apparent that other suitable means may be employed with equally good effect. It is, of course, preferable, that the members I, 2 and 3 of my device should be formed of metal or any other heat conducting material which will not be impaired by the frequent or continuous application of heat to said members.

Thus it will be apparent that I have provided a simple, eflicient and durable shoe stretcher, formed of a pair of mating vamp expanders which are capable of being electrically heated within a suitable range of temperatures, together with supplemental means for expanding the instep simultaneously or apart from the vamp stretching operation.

What I claim, is:

l. A shoe stretcher comprising: a pair of similar last sections divided on a median longitudinal line extending from the back of the heel to the toe and hingedly connected at a point near the heel, a spring internally of said last sections and having its opposite ends connected with said sections for holding said sections normally contracted, oppositely positioned guides detachably secured to adjacent faces of said sections, an expander frictionally engaging said guides, manually operable means adjustable on said sections and connected with said expander, for expanding said sections, an instep stretching member overlying said sections, said manually operable means including a sleeve, trunnions on said sleeve, said sections having bearings for said trunnions, and arms extending from said instep stretching member and having hook terminals embracing said trunnions and means for operating said instep stretching member including a shaft extending through said sleeve and cooperating portions on said shaft and stretching member.

2. A shoe stretcher comprising: a pair of similar last sections divided on a median longitudinal line extending from the back of the heel to the toe and hingedly connected at a point near the heel, a spring internally of said last sections and having its opposite ends connected with said sections for holding said sections normally contracted, oppositely positioned guides on adjacent faces of said sections, an expander frictionally engaging said guides, manually operable means adjustable on said sections and connected with said expander, for expanding said sections, the upper portion of said last sections being recessed and provided with apertures, and an instep stretcher seated in said recess and arranged with its upper surface normally flush with the adjacent surfaces of said sections and having a portion depending through said apertures for operative engagement with said manually operable means, and supplemental operating means engaging the depending portion of said instep stretcher for independently expanding the same.

3. A shoe stretcher comprising: a pair of similar last sections divided on a median longitudinal line extending from the back of the heel to the toe and hingedly connected at a point near the heel, a spring internally of said last sections and having its opposite ends connected with said sections for holding said sections normally contracted, oppositely positioned guides on adjacent faces of said sections, an expander frictionally engaging said guides, an instep stretcher mounted on the top of said last sections and having a depending portion, a sleeve transversely pivoted on said last sections, said instep stretcher and said sleeve having a common axis, a screw threaded through said sleeve and provided with an abutment at its inner end adapted to engage the depending portion of said instep stretcher for correspondingly moving the instep stretcher relative to the movement of said screw, and a second screw adjustable relative to said first mentioned screw for actuating said expander.

4. A shoe stretcher comprising: a pair of mating hollow last members hingedly connected at the heel and adapted to fit within the vamp of a shoe, guides at the adjacent margins of said last members, an expander engaging said guides for expanding said members, means rearwardly of said guides connecting said last members for normally holding the same contracted, heating elements within said last members and adapted for connection with a source of electric current, a threaded sleeve having trunnions pivoted on said last members, an instep stretcher mounted upon said last members and pivoted on said trunnions, spring means for normally holding said instep stretcher contracted, a manually operable member connected with said expander and threaded through said sleeve, and means threaded through said manually operable member and engageable with said instep stretcher for expanding the same and including an independent operating member.

WILLIAM H. DU'ITON. 

